Span hanger for trolley wires



May 16, 1944. s. s. MATTHES 2,348,918

I SPAN HANGERFOR TROLLEY WIRES Filed July 27, 1940 Ennenfor SAMUEL S.MHZITHES Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE SPAN HANGERFOR. TROLLEY WIRES Samuel S. Matthes, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to TheOhio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New JerseyApplication July 2'7, 1940, Serial No. 348,000

' 7 Claims. (c1.'174 '1cc This invention relates to supportinginsulators and particularly to that type of insulator known as a tangentspan hanger for trolley wires.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the class namedwhich maybe easily applied to the supporting span wire and which may be.readily adjusted to span wires at various angles to the horizontal.

A further objectof the invention is to provide a trolley wire hangerwhich can be applied to the supporting span in its correct positiononly, relative to the direction of trafiic;

A further object of the invention is'to provide a trolley wire hangerhaving a span wire clamp which is applicable to span wires having alarge range of diameters.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the classnamed which shall be oi improved construction and operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description.

The invention is exemplified by the combination and arrangement of partsshown in the aceompanying drawing and described in the followingspecification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appendingclaims.

In the drawing- Fig; 1 is an elevation of a trolley wire hanger madeaccording to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a verticalsection of line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation similarto Fig.

1 but having the span wire clamp in a different position of adjustment.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the opposite side of thehanger.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the clamp adjusted for asmaller size of span wire.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the lower span wire clamping jaw.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the upper clamping Jaw.

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the upper clamping jaw.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the washer which holds the upper clampingjaw.

In the mounting of trolley wires for trolley coaches, it is frequentlydesirable to support the wires at one side of the center of thethoroughfare so that the coach may easily move to the curb at the rightside of the thoroughfare for loading and unloading passengers.

wires are supported by cross span wires connected to poles at oppositesides of the street and since there is a certain amount of sag in thespan wires, the portion of the span to which the trolley wire isconnected will be disposed at an angle to the horizontal. The trolleywire is connected to the span wire by what is known as a tangent spanhanger; comprising an insulator, a trolley wire clamp or ear carried bythe insulator, and means for attaching the insulator to the span wire.The clamp or ear. is connected to a stud projecting fromthe lower faceof the insulator and it is desirable that this stud shall have its axisin a vertical positionso that the trolley wire clamp or ear will not be,tilted since any angular tilting of the clamp or ear will subject it toexcessive Wear when it is engaged by the trolley shoe or wheel.

The present invention provides an adjustable clamp for connecting thehanger to the span wire so that the supporting stud may be in a verticalposition notwithstanding angular inclina tion of the span wire. Theconnecting clamp is arranged to open at one side for receiving a spanwire and it is adjustable in one angular direction only from thehorizontal position so that when it is attached at one side of theright-of-way and adjusted to conform to the angular position of the spanwire at that side, the open side of the clamp will face traffic movingat the right-hand side of the right-of-way. With this arrangement, if atrolley pole should leave the trolley wire and strike the cross span itwould tend to move the span into the clamp and not dislodge it from theclamp.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the numeral [8designates an insulator, preferably made of molded dielectric materialhaving a stud ll projecting from its lower side for receiving thetrolley clamp or ear and having a second stud l 2 projecting from itsupper side for connection with a supporting clamp. The insulator I0 ishoused in a metal shell 63 which'protects the insulator from mechanicalinjur and also from exposure to the weather, so

=. that the outer leakage surface of the insulator will always be dry.

Both the insulator Hi and the shell it! are threaded tightly onto thestud l2 so that when the parts are assembled theyare rigidly connectedtogether. The upper face of the shell l3 has a spherical surface I4forming a dome upon which rests a lower jaw 15 of the span wire clamp;The lower surface of the jaw I5 is concave to fit the upper surface I4of the shell i3, so that the The trolley v members 13 and 15 areconnected by a ball and socket connection permitting rotation andvertical angular movement of the clamp on the shell l3. Angular movementof the clamp, however, is confined to a single vertical plane by theelongated slot IS in the jaw I5 which fits over the stud l2. Cooperatingwith the lower jaw I5 is an upper jaw I! having laterally extending arms18 which engage the upper side of the span wire l9. Projecting from oneside of the jaw I1 is an attaching ear 20 having an elongated slot 2|for receiving the stud l2. The upper face of the ear 20 is asubstantially spherical surface concentric with the surface l4 and awasher 22 is provided with a concave surface conforming to the uppersurface of the ear 20. The stud i2 is provided with a nut 23 forclamping the jaws l5 and I1 together and for locking them to the surfaceH. The upper jaw I! is provided with a notch 24 for engaging the cable19 and the lower jaw I5 is provided with a notch 25 for engaging theunder side of the cable as shown in Fig. 3. At the outer edge of the ear20 on the jaw I5 is a fulcrum block 26 which rests on the upper surfaceof the lower jaw member l5. It will be readily apparent from Fig. 3 thatwhen the nut 23 is tightened on the stud l2 the two jaw members will beclamped on the span wire l9 and both jaws will be clamped in place onthe surface l4. Before the nut is screwed down tight, the two jawmembers may be adjusted upon the spherical surface M to tilt the arms 18relative to the horizontal to bring the arms to an angle conforming tothe angle of the span wire l9 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. To hold thejaws in registration during adjustment, the upper jaw is provided with apair of lugs 21 which engage opposite edges of the lower jaw l5 as shownin Fig. 4. These lugs permit opening and closing of the upper and lowerjaws but constrain the two jaws to move together between the surface Itand the concave surface of the washer 22, during angle tilting of thearms Hi.

It will be apparent from Fig. 4 that because the slot 2| extends at oneside only of the stud I2 when the arms l8 are in a horizontal positionthe arms can be tilted in one direction only from this position. Thisdirection of tilting will raise the right-hand arm and lower theleft-hand arm when the device is viewed from the open side of the clampas shown in Fig. 5. This adapts the hanger for attachment to the spanwire at the right-hand side of the right-of-way so that the open side ofthe clamp will be directed toward the traffic traveling at the rightside of the rightof-way. It will be apparent from Fig. 5 that when thehanger is attached in this way a disengaged trolley pole striking thespan wire will not drive the span wire out of the clamp but will onlytend to force it into the clamp.

After the hanger is in position the nut 23 may be loosened to permitrotation of the insulator I0 and stud H sufficiently to aline thetrolley clamp or ear with the trolley after which the nut can again betightened to retain the parts in place. I

If it is desired to connect the hanger to a span wire of a diameter toosmall to b held by the notches engaging the wire in Fig. 3, the lowerclamping jaw may be rotated 180 relative to the upper jaw to theposition shown in Fig. '7 which will bring the flat face of the lowerjaw opposite the clamping groove in the upper jaw and will bring thefulcrum block 26 into registration with a notch 28 in the outer ridge ofthe lower clamping jaw. In this position a much smaller span wire 29 maybe held between the two laws.

I claim:

1. A trolley wire hanger comprising an insulator, means for suspending atrolley wire from said insulator and a clamp extending transversely ofthe axis of said insulator for connecting said insulator to a span wire,said clamp being arranged to open at one side thereof to receive a spanwire and being adjustable in a vertical plane in one angular directiononly from a horizontal position to insure installation of said clamp ina predetermined relation to the direction of traffic when secured to aninclined portion of a span wire at one side of a thoroughfare.

2. In a trolley wire hanger an insulator, means secured to the lowerside of said insulator to support a trolley wire, a fitting secured tothe upper side of said insulator having an upper convex surface, a studprojecting from said convex surface, a pair of clamping jaws mounted onsaid convex surface for vertical adjustment relative to said insulator,said clamping jaws having openings through which said stud extends and anut on said stud for clamping said jaws together and to said insulator.

3. In a trolley wire hanger an insulator, means secured to the lowerside of said insulator for supporting a trolley wire, a fitting securedto the upper side of said insulator having a convex upper surface, astud projecting from said surface, a lower clamping jaw having a concavesurface engaging said convex surface and having an elongated slotthrough which said stud extends, an upper clamping jaw disposedabovesaid lower jaw and having an elongated slot through which said studextends, said jaws having interengaging parts for holding said jaws inregistration while permitting opening and closing movement thereof and anut threaded on said stud to clamp said jaws on a support for saidinsulator and in fixed position on said insulator.

4. A trolley wire support comprising an insulator; means for suspendinga trolley wire from the lower side of said insulator; a pair of clampingjaws secured to the upper side of saidinsulator to engage a span wire; astud extending substantially axially of said insulator, said jawsarranged on said stud and having a ball and socket connection with saidinsulator; means arranged on said stud and engaging one of said jaws toenable said jaws to 'be adjusted to and locked at an angle to said spanwire; and one 01' said jaws being reversible relative to the other tobring different wire engaging faces into cooperative relation to adaptsaid jaws for gripping span wires of different diameters.

5. A trolley wire hanger comprising an insulator, a stud projecting fromthe lower side of said insulator for connection with a trolley wire, astud projecting from the upper side of said insulator in coaxialalinement with said lower stud, a pair of clamping jaws having laterallyextending arms and having means thereon for the vertical angularadjustment on the upper side-of said insulator, and a nut on said upperstud for clamping said jaws in various angularly adjusted positions.

6. In combination an insulator, a fitting having a convex surfacesecured to one face of said insulator, a stud projecting from saidconvex surface, a clamping jaw having a concave surface engaging saidconvex surface and having an opening through which said stud extends, asecond clamping jaw axially movable with respect to the axis of saidinsulator cooperating with said first jaw and having an opening throughwhich said stud extends; means on said stud for engaging one of saidjaws to hold same in different rotatable and angular positions and a nuton said stud to lock said jaws in adjusted position on said insulator.

'7. A trolley wire hanger comprising an insulator, a stud projectingfrom the upper surface of said insulator, a fitting on the upper surfaceof said insulator having a convex surface from which said stud projects,a lower clamping jaw having a concave surface mounted on said convexsurface and having an opening through which said stud extends, an upperjaw cooperating with said lower jaw and having an opening through whichsaid stud extends, laterally projecting arms on one of said jaws forengaging a span wire, said jaws being arranged to open at one side ofsaid insulator and a nut on said stud for closing said jaws on said spanwire and for holding said jaws in fixed position on said insulator, theopenings in said jaws being elongated in the direction of said arms topermit tilting of said arms relative to the axis of said stud, saidopenings being unsymmetrical relative to said jaws to limit angularmovement in one direction to a position in which said jaws arehorizontal.

SAMUEL S. MATTHES.

